Apparatus for extrusion of organic materials



' Fb'. 27, 1945. v c. RQJOHNSON ETAI. ,4 91' APPARATUS FOR EXTRUSIOfi OF ORGANIC MATERIALS Filed Nov. 30, 1940 Charles R. Johnson B ZandRN de er INVE OR ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 27, 1945 Charles R. Johnson, Glenn Mills,- Par, and Roland R. Nydegger, Wilmington, Del., asslgnors to E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmlnp ton, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application November-so, 1940, Serial No. 367,882

1 Claim.

The extruding methods and devices of the prior art are characterized by many disadvantages. For instance, none of these prior art means have been satisfactory for the extrusion of organic materials which are fusiblecompounds or crystalline compounds with sharp melting points.

The object of the present invention is new and improved extrusion means. A further object is new and improved extrusion apparatus. Another object is an extrusion apparatus especially suitable for crystalline organic compounds with sharp melting points. Other objects will be disclosed in the following.

We have found that the foregoing objects are accomplished when the organic material to be extruded is passed downward through a vertically arranged extrusion device including a vertioal screw. Preferably the material is first fed into the device, passed downward through a sharply defined heating zone to be melted therein, and then through a metering zone to an ex trusion orifice. Accordingly the apparatus preferably includes a vertically arranged screw disposed in a vertical chamber. Both the screw and chamber preferably are divided into three distinct zones, the feedinglzone, the melting zone, and the metering zone. As to the vertical screw itself, it is a preferred feature of the invention that the screw be a composite element, the upper or feeding portion being characterized by a metal composition or outer surface having a low heat transfer coefficient. Stainless steel is especially suitable for this purpose. The intermediate or melting portion of the screw disposed immediately below the feeding portion is characterized by a metal composition having a high heat transfer coefficient as compared with that of the feeding portion. Machine steel is especially suitable for constructing this portion of thescrew. Immediv ately below this intermediate melting portion is the metering portion which, like the upper or feeding portion, is characterized by a low heat .gtransfer coefllcient.

for this purpose.

The vertical chamber in which the vertical screwis disposed may be consideredas comprisdug the three zones noted. The upper or feeding zone need not be heated. The intermediate or melting zone is surrounded by heating means. Preferably, insulatingrings separate the feeding zone from the melting-zone so that the maand preferably at a suitable temperature. free space comprises the melting zone for the terial is subject to a sharp temperature change in passing from the safety zone into the melting zone. It is not necessary to heat the material further'after it passes'from the melting zone into the metering zone.

The invention will be more readily understood by referring to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment is depicted. It is understood that this is for the purpose of illustration only and does not limit the scope of the invention in any way. a

Figure I is a vertical elevation in cross-section of an apparatus according to the present invention. Figurell is a view of a conventional spinnerette.

The organic material is fed into the hopper l in the form of flakes and flows by gravity into the bottom of the hopper 2, where it surrounds the drive shaft 3 of the vertical screw. This screw is rotated by any-conventional means, forrial is drlven downward by the screw 5 which v preferably, has the thread interrupted. as shown at 6. This feeding portion of the screw works within the bushing l, which is preferably roughened on its inner surface by longitudinal grooves la. We prefer to employ V grooves of uniform depth throughout the bushing,

The material is-forced by the feeding portion of the screw from the feedingzone into the melting zone including the free space 8 surrounded bythe heating iacket li'whioh'isfilled with a mixture of diphenyl and diphenyl oxide vapors The material fed: into the same. The material is structed of stainless steel which has a low heat Stainless steel is suitable transfer coefficient. A sharp line of division is maintained between this portion of the screw and the melting portion N, which is constructed of machine steel having a high heat'transfer The 'molten' material from the melting zone passes into the metering zone surrounding the "lower threaded metering portion of the screw II. This metering. ortion has a smaller capacity than the upper feeding portion.v The re r the feeding zone.

suit is a building up of a certain amount of pressure in the heating or melting zone, which in turn favors rapid fusion because of the more intimate contact of the material with the hot side walls. Excessively high pressures in the melting zone are avoided by the groove proportions of jacket s, additional heat may be supplied by the introduction of a. heating unit into the screw shaft 3 in soneiil. Preferably,an electric resistant unit will be used and disposed just below The construction of the extrusion hes-d muylconform to any conventional design. For instance any known insulating head may be employed for wire coating, the wire passof the some diameter. the latter grossing throueh the extrusion head at a speed of cos ft. per mln= ute. The coeted wire possessed desirable prop erties. I 1

Example 3 the metering portion of the screw and thence into the extrusion. heed. From here, it woe eutruded us on insulation coating on wire of 0.025"

' diameter. The temperature of the olestio poly merizedmetliyl methacrylate was between {its ins; through the head E2 in conventional lushion. ondreceiving a coating as it posses through 3 any conventional die therein; while the vertical apparatus is particularly advantageous for costins wire, it is likewise highly eiiective for the spinning of staple textile fibers. In this case the spinnerette i5 shown in Figure 11 would be attached at the base of the vertical assembly and the materiel spun therethrough. Similarly, the apparatus is suitable .for the extrusion of bristies end even larger units including rods end the litre. it is likewise advantageous for the pro-- dilution of decorative articles, strand coatings, and him costing.

While'the method and apparatus are especially desirable for extruding organic moi/crisis having churn melting points and crystalline struc ture, they may be employed also for plastic ma terials un'd the like, which are extrudable in a plieble condition.

The following examples serve to illustrate spe ciiic embodiments of the operation of our invention in the extrusion coating of electrical condoctors, the extrusion of solid decorative beadins; and the spinning of continuous filaments.

Example 1 Polyherumethylene odipamlde in the form of flakes was introduced into the hopper oi an opnaratus of the type illustrated in Figure I. By

' means oia vertically arranged screw, aprroxb' mately 2" iii-diameter and'rotating at o'speed. of 19 R. P. M.,'the materiel was fed into the I melting choniber, which was surrounded by s.

heating locket containing oil at o. temperature of 2941? (3., so that the materiel was brought to molten condition. Under the pressure of the screw, the molten material passed through the metering portion of said screw and into the extrusion head. The temperature in the head was 289 C. The molten polyhexamethylene adipamide was then extruded as a coating, 0.006" thick, on a wire of 0.025" diameter, passing through the extrusion head at a speed oT- 'ZOO/it.

per'minute. The oooled wire possessed ellent properties with respect to abrasion-gresistance, dielectric characteristics-and the like.

' Example, 2. In another run, similar niaterial was passed through the hopper and screw,'and 'iused in the melting chamber, the screw revolving at a. speed of 22.53.. P. M. The temperature in both heatins iacketand extrusion head was 296 C. A

coating of 0.008" thickness was applied to wireproximately so?" diameter.

and 232 G. int-he hosting zone, and the in the extrusion heed. Coated wire or desiroble properties Wes obtained.

Example Cellulose acetate was likewise caused to pose through the sameepneratus and woe extruded in the form oi solid, decorative beading of on The temoemture oi the cellulose oeetete in the heating she-inter end in the extrusion heed was between 20% nd 210 C. Bending of excellent apneuronce obtained. I

The present invention ofiers merry ndvuntorgeo over the extr mion means of the prior ert.

'Whereos the conventional horizontal screws ilil' deiective because they bite only us the throes. posses the hopper openinmthe vertlcel screw according to the present invention takes in mew teriol continuously. This makes possible uniform ieeollna; oi the materiel and hence does not irepose is feed pulseon the metering zone in the apparatus and hence permits an eilective meter inc step in the process. This feature is esr cielly desirohle .i'or molten materials, homely or sonic moterlels oi sherp melting point winch ossunie o. liquid rather than a. plastic state upon sheeting. Such meteriols must have s. continu .ous feeding or they cannot be properly extruded.

The well-=deiined feeding, melting, and metering zones described in the foregoing are highly el feeding festive in achieving this continuous which mulses possible metering and improved extrusion results. mirthermore, the process is one revered by gravity. as feature not present in the conventions]. horizontal extrusion strangeorients.

It should be emphasized that the various see merits or the screw contribute greatly to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the metering section having s. capacity for molten or plan. tic materiel smaller than that of the feeding portion? This insures pressure/upon the material within e heating zone and onseuuently more repld'==heating or melting. ecuuse of the more intimate contact with the hot wells oi the apparatus. It is also possible. although not esential, to preheat the material during its passage down through the bushing within which I the feeding screw works prior toentering the inciting zone. walls.

- ing the root diameters of the feeding and meterin; screws allowing a 7 smaller volume between screw shanl; and chamber as it approaches by transterof heat through the I the melt-3 the metering section. While such tapering of shank is eflective, the shank may be cylindrical and the length of the tapered portion may be long or short, as desired.

Various materials can be extruded advantageously in accordance with our invention, for example high melting compounds such as polyhexamethylene adipamide, polyhexamethylene sebacamide, the polyhexamethylene amide of acelaic acid, and interpolymers of these with one another and with other polymeric materials;

cellulose derivatives such as ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, and the like; polyvinyl acetals, including polyvinyl formal, polyvinyl butyral, and others; polyvinyl ketones; polymerized methacrylates; and many other types of compounds.

It will be understood that many variations and details may be made without departure from the scope of the invention. We intend to be limited only by the following patent claim.

We claim: I

An extrusion apparatus comprising a vertically disposed chamber including a feeding zone, a

melting zone and a'metering zone, a composite vertical screw disposed within said chamber in- 

